Israel’s prime minister on Monday called on world powers not to “give in to Iran’s nuclear blackmail” as negotiations commenced in Vienna. Naftali Bennett said in a video statement that was delivered to representatives of nations opening negotiations with Iran that Tehran seeks “to end sanctions in exchange for almost nothing” and keep its nuclear program intact while receiving hundreds of billions of dollars once sanctions are lifted. Bennett asserted that such a murderous regime as Iran, which continues to openly express its wish to annihilate Israel and abuses its own people, cannot be trusted and should not be rewarded by having sanctions against it removed.

A chilling discovery was made last week at the shivah home of the Kay family, whose son Eli, h’yd, was killed in a terror attack last week near the Kosel in the Old City of Jerusalem. A ZAKA delegation visited the shiva house and gave the family the sefer Eli, z’l, was holding at the time of his death – the Likutei Sichos of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, z’tl. Eli’s friends said that he regularly learned from the sefer, even during his IDF service. When DuvBer Webber, a friend of Eli’s, came to be menachem avel, he asked Eli’s parents to see the sefer and was astounded by what he found. A bullet had penetrated the sefer and the following words were found right by the hole on one of the “shot” pages: “וְאִם אָסוֹן יִהְיֶה וְנָתַתָּה נֶפֶשׁ תַּחַת נָפֶשׁ.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Appearing on Face the Nation Sunday, Dr Anthony Fauci, the infectious disease expert went after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) — who, earlier this year, called on the attorney general to prosecute Fauci. The attack on Cruz came as part of a rant from Fauci about what he dismissed as “theater” from critics such as Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan referenced Cruz. “Senator Cruz told the attorney general you should be prosecuted,” she said. Fauci laughed at the notion. “I should be prosecuted?!” Fauci said. “What happened on Jan. 6, senator?!” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The New York State Police, along with the New York City Police Department and Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, are investigating an officer involved shooting that happened just before 1:00 pm on the RFK Bridge, Manhattan span. A Trooper was struck by a vehicle during the incident, suffered minor injuries, and was transported to a local hospital. One lane of the bridge is currently closed at this time as part of the investigation. Details will be posted on the online newsroom as they become available. The investigation is ongoing at this time. How much lower can the media go? @ABC7NY @ABC7NYNewsDesk this @nyspolice @ThePBA trooper shot at the perp after being struck by the vehicle and tropper is injured in hospital, we pray for a speedy recovery. Retract your shameful heading.

Rabbi Berel Lazar, the chief Rabbi of Russia, lit a massive menorah on the first night of Chanukah at the Kremlin in Moscow on Sunday, with many dignitaries and thousands of Russians in attendance. The lighting of the menorah this year was in doubt for a while due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, but following a personal request from Rabbi Lazar, the annual event was given permission to go forward. The hadlakas neiros was led by Rabbi Lazar in conjunction with the chairman of the Jewish community in Russia, Rabbi Boruch Gorin, and included dancing and singing led by Moti Cohen and Moti Eidensohn, who flew in from Israel for the event. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)  

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Saturday morning that he would not be shocked to learn that the COVID-19 omicron variant is already in the U.S. In an interview on NBC’s “Weekend TODAY” show, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director told co-hosts Kristen Welker and Peter Alexander that the strain has a large number of mutations that would suggest it could potentially evade immune protection and that scientists can predict it will be more transmissible. “We don’t know that yet, but you have to be careful and assume that that’s the case. It also has a bunch of mutations that would suggest it could evade the protection, for example, of monoclonal antibodies and perhaps even convalescent plasma for people who’ve been infected and recovered and possibly vaccine.

HaRav Michah Halevy, the Rav of Petach Tikvah and the Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Ateres Nechemia, a Dati Leumi yeshivah, slammed the government’s kashrus reforms two days after meeting with Religious Affairs Matan Kahana. Speaking at the Ichud Rabbanei HaTzionot HaDatit conference on Thursday, Rav Halevi, one of Israel’s leading Dati Leumi Rabbanim, first addressed the government’s disparaging behavior toward the Rabbanut, saying that the Rabbanut and city Rabbanim connect Israeli Jews with kedushah. “Every Jew in Israel, even before he uses the Rabbanut for practical matters – just the fact that there’s a Rabbanut and a city Rav enables him to feel connected to the kedushah of the Torah.” “How is it that we’re not crying?”, he said in a choked voice.

Former President Donald Trump said that President Joe Biden should be required to take a cognitive test to ensure that he has the mental ability to go toe-to-toe with other world leaders. “All I can say is I know [China’s] President Xi, I know Putin, I know Kim Jong Un. I know all of the leaders of the world, I got to know them very well. Many of them I like, although tough cookies. They’re all at the top of their game,” Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “We need somebody that’s at the top of the game. Maybe it should be mandated that you take like a cognitive test or something. You can’t have the head of China, the head of Russia, the head of these powerful nations being at the top of their game. Look at what’s happening.

In recent days, an intriguing trend has hit the dance floors of chasunas worldwide and videos of the “unique” dance to the “oldie” song are flooding social media. It began with Lipa Schmeltzer, who with his usual infectious enthusiasm, jumped up and down, moving his legs back and forth, as he sang Avraham Fried’s “Kal Hahodaos” during a chasunah as he reached the words: “ומניח בקדושה לעם מדושני עונג זכר למעשה בראשית.” Lipa’s “dance” spread, with singer Shloime Meisler in Antwerp copying his moves during a chasunah, and from there it spread all over Israel and the US, with videos of the dance quickly going viral.

A police officer who was shot while confronting an armed man in the Bronx was released from a hospital Thursday, while a second officer wounded by the same gunman remained hospitalized, police said. Scores of New York Police Department officers and Mayor-elect Eric Adams, a retired police captain, lined up and applauded outside a Bronx medical center as Officer Alejandra Jacobs headed home. “I’m good, thank you,” she told reporters as she got into a van. “Happy Thanksgiving.” She and the other wounded officer, Robert Holmes, are expected to recovery fully. They are “doing well, relatively speaking,” Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said Thursday on NBC’s “Today” show. Holmes, who has been on the force for about eight years, and Jacobs, a U.S.